SRINAGAR, Jul 13: A deputation of the Jammu Kashmir Teachers’ Joint Action Committee (JKTJAC), led by its UT President Vinod Sharma, met Education Minister Sakina Masood Itoo at her office chamber in the Civil Secretariat, Srinagar, on Sunday and projected several long-pending issues concerning the teaching fraternity. The delegation urged the Minister to take immediate steps to resolve genuine grievances affecting teachers across Jammu and Kashmir.
During the meeting, Vinod Sharma highlighted the issue of the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET), stating that many teachers who have been serving the Education Department for more than two decades continue to face unnecessary harassment. He appealed to the Minister to intervene and provide relief to the affected teachers. The delegation also sought the early conduct of Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) meetings for the promotion of teachers to the post of Masters, pointing out that while promotions in other cadres have already been completed, teachers continue to face prolonged stagnation. Sharma further requested the Minister to revoke the order relating to the issue of more than one postgraduate degree.
The JKTJAC delegation also pressed for the framing of a comprehensive transfer policy for teachers appointed under the Rehbar-e-Taleem (ReT) scheme and urged the government to direct the committee constituted for the purpose to submit its report at the earliest. It also demanded the inclusion of ReT teachers in the Annual Transfer Drive (ATD). Pending the formulation of the transfer policy, the delegation requested the immediate resumption of triangular and chain-based mutual transfers for ReT teachers.
Among the other issues raised were the sanction of earned leave in favour of teachers engaged in Census duty, the release of pending Mid-Day Meal dues that many teachers had managed from their own pockets to ensure the uninterrupted functioning of the scheme, and the regularisation of left-out Education Volunteers (EVs) along with the clearance of their pending conversion cases lying with the administrative department.
Responding to the demands, Education Minister Sakina Masood Itoo assured the delegation that the government would examine each issue sympathetically and work towards their resolution. She assured the JKTJAC leadership that teachers who have been serving the department for more than two decades would not be harassed over the TET issue. The Minister said she would stand firmly with the aggrieved teachers and ensure that justice is done. She also assured the delegation that mutual transfers would be resumed at the earliest.
The deputation also comprised Dr. Aaftab Malik, UT Vice President; Sukesh Khajuria, UT Chief Press and Media Secretary; Khazan Singh, UT Chief Coordinator; and Sandeep Sharma, UT Organiser, who reiterated the need for timely redressal of teachers’ issues to strengthen the education system and improve the morale of the teaching community.